


Unrequited Love

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen, M/M mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2015-02-02
Packaged: 2018-03-10 04:59:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3277622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A normally good student is doing badly...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unrequited Love

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Sentinel Thursday to the prompt reason

"I deserve a better grade than this!" The almost over-muscled student standing in front of Blair's desk was obviously more than angry.

Blair looked at him with a calmness that served to take a lot of the wind out of the young man's sails.

"Yes," Blair said at last, his quiet voice a marked contrast to the infuriated yell of the student. "You do. I was surprised that you scored so low.

"I know you're a football 'jock' and that some of your team mates think of anthropology as an easy option for their academic studies. You've recognized that it isn't; that you have to give it some thought, put some work into understanding what it's all about.

"That said, Trevor, you got the mark that paper deserved. Ask yourself why. Someone who regularly gets C+ to B doesn't suddenly drop to a D without a reason. Think about it. What's that reason?"

Trevor shook his head.

"Fight with your girl friend?"

"No. I don't have a girl friend. My Dad always said never to trust a woman... "

Sounded as if Trevor's mother had walked out, maybe with another man, possibly when her son was too young to remember her. "So have you seen a girl you're attracted to, but don't want to approach because of that?"

The head shake this time was a little more hesitant. Blair waited.

"Not a girl," Trevor whispered. Then, abruptly, he added, "Another man."

"And you know your Dad wouldn't be happy about that?"

"Yes." Another hesitation. "Anyway, I think the man I like is straight. I've seen him with a girl a couple of times."

"Yes, that could be a problem. Some straight men will just say 'Sorry, not interested', while others react badly. It's not pleasant, but unrequited love - or even just unrequited lust - won't kill you. You just have to live with what you can get. Is this man a friend?"

"No," Trevor said. "I see him around quite often, though; I was trying to think if I wanted to speak to him, try to get to know him better, when I sat that paper. So I suppose I really was thinking about something else. I'm sorry."

"You want my advice? Don't speak to him. Someone you only see in passing, even if you think he's attractive... It's easier to ignore any desire you feel than if you're seeing him at close quarters even some of the time."

Trevor looked thoughtful. "Yes... that makes sense. But Mr. Sandburg - if I _am_ being attracted to men... and I know Dad won't understand, even though he's the one telling me to stay away from women - what do I do?"

Blair sighed. "In the short term? You get really friendly with your right hand... Once you're a little older, finished university and working, not dependent on your father... then you can think again. I can understand where your Dad is coming from - some people, both men and women, can't settle to a committed relationship, but there's no reason to assume nobody can.

"Now - this paper. I'll give you until next Monday to redo it."

"Thanks - and I'll try not to get distracted this time."

Blair smiled gently. "Look on this as a learning experience. I expect your new paper will be fine."

He watched Trevor leave and turned back to the article he was working on with a soft sigh. He knew exactly how Trevor felt. He had simply told the boy what he had been telling himself for far too long.

Unrequited love didn't kill you. But avoiding the subject of that love... for him, it was far, far too late for that. Moving in with Jim for a week - under the circumstances - had seemed so harmless. Staying beyond that week... big mistake. Now he couldn't conceive of not seeing Jim over breakfast, of not spending his evenings with his sentinel, harder and harder though it was becoming to hide his true feelings.

He thought Jim would let him down lightly, with a 'Sorry, not interested' if he did slip up and betray his true feelings; he thought Jim would make a genuine attempt to carry on as if he hadn't admitted to being in love. But could he, himself, handle the rejection, the total loss of hope?

Probably not. But he could only try.

After all, Jim would still need his guide.


End file.
